1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printer/processor for performing printing processes on both piece negatives taken out of a negative sheet and an elongate negative film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a negative film used in taking pictures with a camera is brought to a photo processing agent for simultaneous printing. At a developing laboratory, the negative film is developed and image frames rendered visible are printed on printing paper. The prints and the developed negative film are handed over from the photo processing agent to the customer. Prior to this, the negative film is cut into piece negatives each having four or six frames, and individual piece negatives are put into separate pocket-like holders formed between the front and back sheets of a negative sheet. When ordering additional prints, the customer fills in a predetermined form with reorder information such as positions of the image frames to be printed and the numbers of prints required, and brings the negative sheet containing the piece negatives along with the filled form to the photo processing agent. The photo processing agent sends the reorder information and the negative sheet received from this customer to the developing laboratory. An operator at the laboratory takes the piece negatives to be printed out of the negative sheet, and sets the piece negatives to a loading section of a printer/processor to carry out a required printing process. Subsequently, the piece negatives are discharged from the printer/processor, and operator inserts the piece negatives back into the negative sheet. This additional printing (reorder) process is performed as an interrupt process to suspend a simultaneous printing process on an elongate negative film wound on a film reel. The reorder process is a troublesome operation requiring manual handling of the piece negatives by the operator to take the piece negatives out of the negative sheet to be used for additional prints, and to put the piece negatives back into the negative sheet. Thus, the larger number of reorder processes results in the lower operating rate of the printer/processor.